how to explain what the potty is actually for?

[kalidasa]

OK, so after starting an earlier thread we have bought a couple of potties and a book for DS. He is only 15 months which I realise is v. early so we weren't expecting to worry about this for ages but he now has all the "signs of readiness" I think - he consistently tells us when he is going to fill his nappy, takes himself off to a particular place to do it (under the table), then indicates that he has done it and even goes and fetches a clean nappy and lies down on the changing mat afterwards to be changed! I think if we could just get him to do it in the potty once and then we made a huge fuss about it he'd probably understand what we are going on about, but how do we explain this to him? He will sit on the potty at other times and thinks it's funny if we sit on it, but when he is about to fill his nappy he gets upset if you try and move him, take his clothes off etc. Should we just bite the bullet one morning (he usually goes after breakfast) and leave him without a nappy on so even if it doesn't end up in the potty at least he will see what is going on and we could put it in the potty to show him?! He definitely understands all the key words.

My mother has stressed me out by saying that we need to "catch the moment" and that now he knows what is going on if we don't introduce the potty soon we'll miss our opportunity. But maybe she's just wrong and we shouldn't stress about it? He is very little.

[lottieandmia]

15 months is way too young IMO. Although he may know when he needs changing, I doubt he has the motor skills needed to get to potty, pull pants down, wipe and pull up yet. I also doubt that he could hold on for long enough yet. And you also have to consider whether he's even emotionally ready. I would leave it til 2 and see how he is then.

[kalidasa]

Thanks lottie. We are definitely not going to try and potty train him properly, I agree he is too young and I don't think he is as aware of weeing - he seems to know he is doing it but I don't think he has any warning. But I do think he could poo on a potty pretty consistently if we could find a way of explaining what it is for! Maybe it's just not worth the effort at this stage though and we should just wait until he's ready to be potty trained completely. I suppose my mother is from a different generation where it seemed to happen earlier than it does now.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

My DD was fully poo trained at about this age. She would only ever poo on the toilet - when teeny I would hope her over, when bigger put her on a toddler toilet seat (never used potty).

Obviously at 15 months your child will never be independently toileting, however they can be well on the way to consistently clean and dry, even out of nappies if you are very brave.

Have a Google around elimination communication, its not just for babies, Diaper Free Baby is an EC bible
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0061229709?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
And good luck, and ignore all the naysayers - its really nice for you and DC to have no more shitty nappies

[lottieandmia]

It's true that all kids are completely different. I do know of people who had toilet trained kids at 18 months but some of them regressed. I didn't mean to sound so negative, sorry. And of course you know him best. I would just try to take your mums view with a pinch of salt. Years ago we were all trained earlier because nappies were more uncomfortable!

One thing I would advise (especially for boys) is that you get a comfortable potty. I bought a baby bjorn potty chair - that was the only one my dc would sit in! It does look more comfortable than the rest.

[kalidasa]

Thanks both, we have one very basic potty but the other is a 'potty chair' with a bit of a back, it does look more comfortable.

Thanks for the links itsall. I know nothing about this! I do think it would be good for him to spend a bit of time without a nappy on so he could see what's going on. He's recently got very interested in his willy/what happens when he wees/watching DH weeing etc. I think I might try and get hold of some pull ups that we could take off and on a bit more easily so that he can spend more time without a nappy at all.

You weren't negative lottie, I have been really surprised myself, I didn't expect to even think about this for months, especially with a little boy, everyone says they are later. But once he is telling you it's happening every time it's hard to ignore completely!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Sorry Lottie I wasn't saying that you were a naysayers, I just (incorrectly) predicted that they would descend upon this thread.